


Watching, Waiting, Warming.

by Confused_Foam



Series: Haikyuu Halloweek 2018 [7]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AU - No Nekoma Karasuno Rivalry, Car Accidents, Confronting Grief, Coping, Could Be Read as Pre- KenHina, Crying, Death Before Narrative, Death By Car Accident, Dialogue Light, Drinking, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Haikyuu Halloweek 2018, Invasion of Privacy, Kagayama Tobio is Dead, Kenma is Nosy, M/M, Mentioned Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Mild Language, Non-Described Car Accident
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 07:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16470953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Confused_Foam/pseuds/Confused_Foam
Summary: There is a boy in the cemetery Kenma passes on his way home from work.  He's too loud, kneeling in front of one of the plots closer to the edge of the cemetery grounds.  He laughs and talks like he's sitting with a good friend and draws more than just Kenma's eyes for it, but Kenma cannot find it in him to look away.





	Watching, Waiting, Warming.

**Author's Note:**

> Day 7 of Halloweek, late again. But one of my favorites so far. Today's prompts were Cemetery/Ghost/ Haunted House.

There is a boy in the cemetery Kenma passes on his way home from work. Not every day, but usually at least once a week. He's been at this job for six months and the longest he's ever gone without seeing him is less than two weeks. Kenma isn't entirely sure why he's keeping count. 

It could be that he's too loud, kneeling in front of one of the plots closer to the edge of the cemetery grounds. He laughs and talks like he's sitting with a good friend and draws more than just Kenma's eyes for it. He's heard quite a few muttered comments about disrespect floating about the sidewalk. He understands where they are coming from. This boy is too noisy, too bright, and all together far too much for such a somber place. 

Yet, Kenma cannot find it in himself to join in their distaste. There is something about the life this stranger exudes even surrounded by the dead that totally enchants him. On a sidewalk full of sidelong glares and pointedly averted gazes Kenma can't do anything but stare.   
__________ _ _ _

Kenma isn't entirely sure how Tora talked him into coming out tonight. Dinner wasn't too bad, the restaurant just the right kind of crowed to give a little bit of anonymity but not overwhelming. But the friend Tora had brought along was one of his most annoying. Strike one was the bone-rattling, back-pounding hug he gave Kenma when they all met up. Strike two of the evening came when he started yelling to greet the waitress he apparently knows the second they walked in the door. When, by some miracle, the rest of dinner passes without any major infractions Kenma dared to hope that Tanka was trying to set a new personal best-behavior record. Then, right as the bill came and Kenma started thinking about his pajama pants, he insisted they all go check out this bar his friend Kinoshita or something works at. An offence worth about eleven strikers all on its own. 

Kenma negotiated them down to an exactly twenty minute stay. They had now been at the bar for five minutes and twenty seven seconds. Twenty eight. Twenty nine. Thirty. He keeps careful time as Tanaka and Tora play pool. Thankfully it is earlier in the evening on a Thursday, so there aren't many drunk people coming around and trying to talk way too close to his face. There aren't many people in general really. The bartender, who Tanaka talked to awhile while getting their drinks, a few people sitting at the bar or tables, who Tanaka also said hello to, and others playing games. Kenma can hear the bar's music perfectly. 

Every time Kenma finishes or loses a level of his game he's been assessing his fellow patrons while the ad plays out on his phone. He's finished with the other people playing bar games, just drunk or getting-drunk young people like those he came here with, and from this seat he can only see the back of mosts of most of the people at the bar. Now he's onto the tables. There are a few older groups and pairs that he doesn't bother with very long, and some younger couples that are only that are only slightly more interesting, and a shock of orange hair that catches his attention the second he's turned around enough to see it.

It's the boy. Or, apparently, young man from the cemetery. Regardless of the fact that Kenma is legitimately surprised that he's even close to old enough to drink, there is no doubt it's him. Kenma has never seen hair that orange on anyone else. 

He's sitting with another person, a blonde woman who's even smaller than he is. They are too far away for Kenma to really hear their conversation, but he can see how the young man's shoulders shake and the light catches the tears on his puffy red face. Crying in a bar, laughing at a cemetery. Kenma's previous interest begins to grow ravenous. 

Strain as he might, Kenma can't over hear anything they are saying, and his lip reading isn't good enough to be worth the effort. He considered walking the long way to the bar to catch even a second of their conversation but there is no way to make that not suspicious. He is still considering the best way to go about it while half playing his phone game when the twenty minute timer goes off. Now in no hurry to leave he lets Tora and Tanaka finish their game before they all head out. 

When he and Tora get back to the apartment he goes straight for his room. Most of the night is wasted on on a fighter he barely has to to look at to play and thoughts of laughter, tears, and bright orange hair. He needs to know more.   
__________ _ _ _

The young man isn't at the cemetery while Kenma is walking home for a week and a half. Kenma is about to go crazy with inpatients by the time he's there again. He acts just as he does normally does, speaking to the headstone and animatedly waving his arms about. Kenma stops and buys a disgusting cup of coffee to have a reason to stand and watch longer. The young man just carries on until Kenma's cup of excuses is empty and he has to carrie on home. This completely unsatisfying ritual repeats twice more until finally he sees something different. 

The discussion is far less lively than usual, the young man sitting quietly and looking smaller than ever before. He's also brought a single sunflower. Kenma is only half way done his still gross coffee before he gets up and leaves that flower behind. Before he goes he lays a hand atop the head stone in what looks like an intimate caress. 

Normalcy be damned, Kenma needs answers like two months ago. He goes back that night after most people are off the streets. Thank god Tora is at work and he doesn't have to deal with trying to explain just where he is going that late. Not the 9:30 is especially late, but there isn't a real reason to be going anywhere at that time of night during the week. There are only a handful of people out and about. Kenma almost enjoys the walk to the cemetery in the cool evening. 

Kenma hasn't been in a cemetery in years, let alone at night. The few minutes of looking around before he finds what he’s looking for has the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, even though it is a quiet and peaceful night. The sunflower serves as a marker for the specific headstone once he gets into the right area. It's on the newer side, stone still polished as compared to its neighbors, but it isn’t the only one with gifts left behind tonight. Careful not to disturb the flower he kneels down to shine his phone’s flashlight on the headstone’s surface.

Kageyama Tobio. He passed away around ten months ago, close to turning 21. There are no other engravings. Kenma decided that at this point one more little line being crossed isn’t going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, he takes a photo of the writing. After the flash goes off and it’s dark again he spends a while sitting in the silence before he walks home. 

It was a car accident, Kagayama slid off a mountain road in the rain trying to avoid a little girl and her father who had gotten caught biking in the unexpected storm. They were both unharmed except for some bumps and bruises from falling off their bikes in fright. Kageyama was taken to the hospital where he died a few hours later from his injuries, according to the article that Kenma finds online. Unsatisfied, he keeps digging into Kageyama’s life. 

He was a volleyball player at the local university. A second year starting setter, and a hell of player apparently. There’s a photo of him with the team, and it’s here that some answers about the young man that has been haunting Kenma’s thoughts. Hinata Shouyou, Kageyama’s teammate and rival since high school. They were absolute monsters on the court. The videos he can find of some of their matches are the first thing to make Kenma miss playing in years. Hinata officially retired from the team seven months ago. Tora coming home slightly tipsy is the only thing that stops him from watching them all night. Regardless, the next morning his coworkers all comment that he is looking especially tired. 

His curiosity should be fulfilled. He has the answers available and can puzzle together the rest. Hinata is mourning a dear friend, or probably more based on the flowers and his behavior. Grief is complex and effects different people in different ways. All of the pieces have fallen into place and the picture is completed. But as Kenma watches Hinata again and sips his now habitual cup of disgusting coffee he doesn’t feel close to finished. It's aggravating.  
__________ _ _ _ 

Kenma has always thought the idea that the universe works in unusual or mysterious ways is bull shit. There is nothing mysterious about it if you know how to look. This doesn’t mean that nothing surprises him, just that few things do for very long. Coming home one Sunday afternoon from a weekend trip to visit Kuroo to find Hinata Shouyou on his couch for example, is incredibly surprising.

So surprising in fact, that the second Kenma walks into the apartment and sees him and the other unexpected people occupying it he quickly goes to his room and slams the door. Tora comes to explain that he didn’t think Kenma was going to be home so early, and leaves a beer as an offering. After a while to settle from the train ride and drink the beer, Kenma goes out to join them. There are five people in his living room, and four of them are too loud. He goes to get a second beer and sits on the couch by Fukunaga to watch the circus that is Tora, Tanaka, Nishinoya, and Hinata slightly tipsy before 3 PM. 

They all get way too drunk for a Sunday. Eventually Kenma is convinced to bring out Smash and they all play for a good hour or so before the others lose interest and start screwing around with some random crap they found in Tora’s room. Hinata stays focused on the game, and Kenma stays focused on thoroughly destroying Hinata. By the time all is said and done and the guests stumble out Kenma has a new contact in his phone. 

They text, a lot. They meet up and play games, sometimes. Hinata never mentions Kageyama Tobio, volleyball, or having seen Kenma staring at him from that coffee stand, so Kenma doesn’t either. He can see that they are both walking on tightropes, but for now he’s comfortable with the balancing act. He starts making more of an effort to not be spotted watching Hinata in the cemetery, which only makes the whole thing feel more creepy, but he can’t bring himself to stop looking entirely. He’s looking whenever Hinata is in sight, unable to keep his eyes way. He watches Hinata excuse himself to the bathroom when volleyball is mentioned, and decline offers for rides home in the rain. He sees the boxes shoved in the corners of his too empty apartment the few times they go over there instead. It all builds up bit by bit in the back of his mind, but he does his best to keep to his feet on the rope. 

Kenma’s patients for walking the edge only runs out when Hinata avoids him for three and a half weeks for no explained reason and then just shows up at his apartment to play games though seemingly endless tears and refuse to talk about anything. Kenma plays along for the time being, but only so that he has time to build a plan of attack. This can’t be aloud to go on much longer. All he needs is the right time to strike.   
__________ _ _ _ 

Tora really is the best roommate ever, even when he doesn’t know it. He mentions in passing that he’s seen Hinata down at the rec center a lot lately. Late in the evening when most people have gone and it isn’t too hard to find somewhere to be alone, and always by himself. It’s absolutely perfect. Kenma can’t believe his high school volleyball shoes that he only brought with him on Kuroo’s insistence are going to come in handy. 

He goes to the rec center the next Tuesday. Tora looks surprised to see him, but lets it go pretty easy when he says he’s just trying to find Hinata. “Just don’t be too mean. That kid’s having a hard time.” He warns before pointing Kenma in the right direction. Like Hinata isn’t only a few years younger than them, and isn’t who Kenma’s been spending most of his free time with lately. Not appreciative of the implications, Kenma makes no promises to be kind before heading down the hallway. 

Half the court is covered in volleyballs, evidences of quite a bit of serving practice, but now Hinata is just hitting the ball against the base of the gym wall in a mockery of a spike. Even from across the room Kenma can see the tension in his shoulders. “Hinata!” He calls across the room, and watches the next shot go bouncing out of Hinata’s reach. He whips around wide eyed.

“Kenma? What are you doing here?” The usually sunny look on Hinata’s face is clouded over with frustration and Kenma’s determination only grows. 

“Let me set for you.” He says without offering a real answer. 

Hinata’s frown grows, he looks like Kenma just prodded him in a bruise. “You can’t.”

“I was the starting setter at my high school. It hasn’t been that long.” Kenma defends his skills even though he knows that’s not what Hinata was trying to say. 

“I can’t.” Hinata says, sounding slightly pained. 

Kenma digs his fingers harder into the sore spot. “Just once then.” Hinata caves, going over and getting into form for good old spiking drills like every step hurts him. He throws the ball up, and Kenma sends him a toss. Hinata’s form is a mess heartbreak is written clear on his face when Kenma turns to face him before he even sees where it hit the ground. “Another.” He insists, and Hinata caves again. 

It’s nothing like the clips of Hinata playing before. They are both rusty and Hinata has a hard time aiming when he begins to tear up. By the time they are almost out of balls it is Hinata calling for one more toss himself. His voice is heart wrenching, and Kenma’s body wants to quit, but he forces himself to set the ball again and again. 

They run out of balls. Hinata asks for one more toss but reaches down into an empty ball cart. He falls to his knees and then the rest of the way to the floor. Laying on the wood flooring the slow welling of tears turns to sobbing. Kenma sits down a few feet away and tries to re-teach his body to breath. 

When Tora comes to kick them out so he can close the rec center for the night Hinata is the first to get up. His face is puffy from crying but his tears themselves are all dry now. While Kenma pulls himself up Hinata grabs the nearest volleyball and holds it out. His voice is hoarse as he asks for one more toss. 

Both of their muscles are loose and wobbly, and absolutely everything is covered in sweat. The shot misses completely. A bad throw making for a bad toss making for one really messed up hit. It’s the most beautiful spike Kenma’s ever seen. Not for the form or the sound of it ringing in the gym, or the fact that it lands a solid three feet outside the lines. For the way the Hinata turns to Kenma and starts laughs way too loud.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are food for the soul, in case you hadn't heard.
> 
> This is another I would consider expanding on one day.
> 
> Today's actual prompts are Witches/Trick-or-Treating/Halloween Night and I am already sure it's going to be late again, but keep the look out for it any way. I can't believe we are almost done. 
> 
> Head over at check out ever one else's work for this super fun week on twitter at @hqhalloweek or I think they have a tumblr page of similar name.
> 
> You can find me on twitter @confused_foam


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